Micranthes nivalis

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Micranthes nivalis
Micranthes nivalis.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Saxifragales
Family: Saxifragaceae
Genus: Micranthes
Species:
M. nivalis
Binomial name
Micranthes nivalis
(L.) Small
Synonyms [1]
  • Dermasea nivalis(L.) Haw.
  • Micranthes kumlieniiSmall
  • Micranthes nivalis(L.) Small
  • Robertsonia nivalis(L.) Link
  • Saxifraga kumlienii(Small) Fedde
  • Saxifraga nivalis f. longipetiolataEngl. & Irmsch.
  • Saxifraga obtusaNasarow

Micranthes nivalis is a plant species in the saxifrage family. It is commonly called snow saxifrage or (ambiguously) alpine saxifrage .

Micranthes nivalis is a perennial plant which grows on damp, shady, base-rich rocks and cliffs, usually in crevices and on ledges in locations where it cannot be crowded out by competing plants. In Britain the highest altitudes are recorded in Scotland, from 365 metres (1,198 ft) at the Quiraing, Isle of Skye, to 1,210 metres (3,970 ft) on Ben Lawers in Perth & Kinross. However it has been claimed as high as 1,300 metres (4,300 ft) in the Cairngorms. [2] It grows to a height of 5–20 centimetres (2–8 in) with a leafless, hairy stalk. The flower is greenish white, turning reddish as it ages with five petals and five sepals. The leathery, greyish green, rhomboidal leaves make up a rosette at the base of the stem and lie close to the soil surface, and are only sparsely haired. [3]

The Latin specific epithet nivalis means "as white as snow', or "growing near snow". [4]

This species is also found in Norway, Ireland, Svalbard, northern Germany, Poland, Russia, Canada, Alaska and Greenland. [3] [5]

The plant was first described by Carl Linnaeus in Flora Lapponica (1737), as a result of his expedition to Lapland. [6]

Some populations from the Canadian Province of Quebec have been recognized as a distinct species by some authors, [7] [8] but as a variety of M. nivalis by others: [9] [10]

is distinguished from var. nivalis by smaller inflorescences and narrower leaves. It is known only from the Shickshock Mountains of the Gaspé Peninsula of southeastern Quebec. It has been suggested that this may be a hybrid of M. nivalis and M. tenuis; further study is warranted. [7]

Related Research Articles

<i>Saxifraga</i> Genus of flowering plants in the family Saxifragaceae (saxifrages)

Saxifraga is the largest genus in the family Saxifragaceae, containing about 473 species of holarctic perennial plants, known as saxifrages or rockfoils. The Latin word saxifraga means literally "stone-breaker", from Latin saxum + frangere. It is usually thought to indicate a medicinal use for treatment of urinary calculi, rather than breaking rocks apart.

<i>Saxifraga oppositifolia</i> Species of flowering plant

Saxifraga oppositifolia, the purple saxifrage or purple mountain saxifrage, is a species of plant that is very common in the high Arctic and also some high mountainous areas further south, including northern Britain, the Alps and the Rocky Mountains.

There are over 190 vascular plant species on the Norwegian Arctic archipelago of Svalbard. This figure does not include algae, mosses, and lichens, which are non-vascular plants. For an island so far north, this number of species constitutes an astonishing variety of plant life. Because of the harsh climate and the short growing season, all the plants are slow growing. They seldom grow higher than 10 cm (4 in)

<i>Micranthes stellaris</i> Species of plant

Micranthes stellaris, synonym Saxifraga stellaris, the starry saxifrage or hairy kidney-wort, is an Arctic–alpine species in the family Saxifragaceae. It produces panicles of 5–10 white flowers on a stem up to 20 cm (7.9 in) tall, rising from a basal leaf rosette. One subspecies is found from eastern Canada to Russia, including the British Isles, while another is found in the mountains of southern Europe.

<i>Saxifraga paniculata</i> Species of flowering plant

Saxifraga paniculata is an alpine species of flowering plant in the saxifrage family, with native distribution in the temperate northern hemisphere. Common names include alpine saxifrage, encrusted saxifrage, lifelong saxifrage, lime-encrusted saxifrage, livelong saxifrage, white mountain saxifrage, and silver saxifrage.

<i>Yucca gloriosa</i> Species of shrub

Yucca gloriosa is a species of flowering plant in the family Asparagaceae, native to the southeastern United States. Growing to 2.5 m (8 ft), it is an evergreen shrub. It is widely cultivated as an ornamental for its architectural qualities, and has reportedly become established in warmer climates in the wild in various parts of the world.

<i>Micranthes virginiensis</i> Species of flowering plant

Micranthes virginiensis, the early saxifrage, or Virginia saxifrage, is a wildflower native to eastern and central North America.

<i>Saxifraga granulata</i> Species of flowering plant

Saxifraga granulata, commonly called meadow saxifrage, is a species of flowering plant in the family Saxifragaceae. It is native to Europe and Morocco.

Alpine saxifrage is a common name for several different plants and may refer to:

<i>Micranthes bryophora</i> Species of flowering plant

Micranthes bryophora is a species of flowering plant known by the common name bud saxifrage. It is native to the western United States, where its two varieties are geographically separated. The more common var. bryophora is endemic to the mountains of California, and the rare var. tobiasiae is known only from the Payette National Forest of western Idaho.

<i>Saxifraga rivularis</i> Species of saxifrage

Saxifraga rivularis is a species of saxifrage known by several common names, including highland saxifrage, weak saxifrage, alpine brook saxifrage, and pygmy saxifrage.

<i>Saxifraga cuneifolia</i> Species of flowering plant

Saxifraga cuneifolia, the lesser Londonpride, shield-leaved saxifrage or spoon-leaved saxifrage, is a herbaceous perennial plant belonging to the Saxifragaceae family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gortarowey Forest Recreation Area</span>

Gortarowey Forest Recreation Area is a forest park and recreation area at the foot of Ben Bulben near Drumcliffe in County Sligo, Ireland. The park is currently managed by Coillte, Ireland's commercial forestry company, as part of the larger Benbulben Forest. The park lies adjacent to the Benbulben, Gleniff and Glenade Special Area of Conservation and is known as the only area in Ireland where chickweed willowherb and alpine saxifrage can be found.

<i>Saxifraga spathularis</i> Species of saxifrage

Saxifraga spathularis, the St Patrick's cabbage, is a species of saxifrage native to Ireland, Portugal, and Spain. It is a member of the so-called Lusitanian flora, a small set of plants which are native to Ireland but inexplicably absent from Great Britain. It consists of a basal rosette of elongate obovate succulent leaves around an upright leafless flowering stem. It seems to grow best in humus-rich alpine habitats among acidic rocks. With Saxifraga umbrosa it is a parent of Saxifraga × urbium.

<i>Micranthes</i> Genus of flowering plants in the family Saxifragaceae

Micranthes is a genus of flowering plants in the saxifrage family. It was formerly included within the genus Saxifraga until recent DNA evidence showed the members of what is now Micranthes are more closely related to Boykinia and Heuchera than to other members of the genus Saxifraga.

<i>Psammophiliella muralis</i> Species of plant

Psammophiliella muralis is a species of flowering plants in the family Caryophyllaceae. It is known as annual gypsophila, cushion baby's-breath and low baby's-breath, an annual plant principally native to Europe except the British Isles. It can be also found in Central Asia, Turkey, the Caucasus, and Siberia. It is one of two species in genus Psammophiliella.

<i>Micranthes californica</i> Species of flowering plant

Micranthes californica, known by the common name California saxifrage, is a species of flowering plants.

<i>Petrorhagia saxifraga</i> Species of flowering plant

Petrorhagia saxifraga, known as tunic flower or coat flower, is a small, herbaceous flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae. It is native to parts of Europe and introduced to the United States and Canada, Great Britain, and Sweden. Petrorhagia saxifraga is also known as tunic saxifrage, pink saxifrage, or just pink.

<i>Micranthes occidentalis</i> Species of flowering plant

Micranthes occidentalis, commonly known as western saxifrage, is a species of flowering plant native to North America.

References

  1. "Synonyms of Micranthes nivalis". Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
  2. "Saxifraga nivalis". Online Atlas of British and Irish Flora. Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
  3. 1 2 "Snow Saxifrage Micranthes nivalis". LuontoPortti / NatureGate. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
  4. Harrison, Lorraine (2012). RHS Latin for Gardeners. United Kingdom: Mitchell Beazley. ISBN   184533731X.
  5. "Micranthes nivalis". Flora of North America. efloras .org. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
  6. Linnaeus, Carl von (1753). Caroli Linnaei ... Species plantarum :exhibentes plantas rite cognitas, ad genera relatas, cum differentiis specificis, nominibus trivialibus, synonymis selectis, locis natalibus, secundum systema sexuale digestas... Vol. 1. Biodiversity History Library.
  7. 1 2 Flora of North America v 8 p 65.
  8. Fernald, Merritt Lyndon (191). "CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE GRAY HERBARIUM OF HARVARD UNIVERSITY.— NEW SERIES, NO. L". Rhodora. 19 (224): 141–142.
  9. Small, John Kunkel (1918). "North American Flora". p. 552.
  10. Boivin, Joseph Robert Bernard (1966). "Enumération des plantes du Canada". Le Naturaliste Canadien. 93 (5): 583–646.